Sunday, August 14, 2011

Everything is bigger in Texas. People's confidence. Their sense of self-importance. Their huntin' and fishin' stories. Their cars. Their homesteads. Their universities. Their ruminants' horns. The size (and destructiveness) of their insects. The quantity of food on their plates, and consequently, the size of their bottoms. Oh, and lest I forget the size of their rhetorical bullshit, which mechanically emerges whenever a Texan candidate covets a seat at the head of the national political table.

Rick Perry may be a nice guy, just as Michelle Bachmann may make for an entertaining and illuminating dinner-party guest. In this regard, I make no judgment of Mr Perry. He may also be very competent and highly intelligent. He may be a good administrator, and may make a great president. Here, I will readily admit that I am not sufficiently informed to have an opinion.

What I take exception to, and find exceptionally dishonest (and believe the American People should take note as well) is for Mr Perry to associate his policies or administration of the affairs of Texas with the avoidance of the more general financial malaise engulfing the nation as a whole, though in particular, the coasts and rust belt. I say this because Mr Perry, as Governor of Texas has had absolutely nothing to do with rising agricultural land values, more-than robust oil prices, vaulting agricultural commodity prices, a steadily growing oil-services industry, and population growth trends (whether due to fertility or net internal and external migration) in excess of national averages which diminishes supply-demand imbalances in the real estate market. Upon reflection, I cannot say the last bit with absolute authority as Mr Perry may have made some "personal contributions" to these trends both within his family,and a-la DSK, though there is no evidence to either support (or deny) this latter possibility. The point is, Texas, as an economy, is, like Saudi, fortuitously-placed in the current global economy to relatively prosper - both fiscally and economically. Of course this wasn't always, as the late-80s oil bust combined with soft ag. prices demonstrated and where Governor's Clement's and White's liability were similarly negligible.

Like Al Gore's ridiculous claim to be father of the internet, please Mr Perry, do not take credit for what is not yours, as it demonstrates a supreme lack of moral character, forsake the Texan-sized bullshit and demagoguery, and focus upon what you and your administration have accomplished that somehow might be relevant to your stewardship of the nation.

Escape From the Rat Race

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